As more and more UK expats in France experience problems with their carte de sejour applications, the EU has been asked to investigate.

The European Commission’s MEP citizens’ rights task force has tabled a question in the EU parliament requesting information as to why so many UK expats in France are experiencing serious problems getting their carte de sejour residency permits. Many are not being given the full 5-year permanent residency card to which they are entitled after having already lived in France for over five years. Worse still, Brit expats in a number of prefectures are being refused the essential cards.

Member of the EU Parliament Sophie in’t Veld explained the issue must be tackled by the European Commission, as it needs to verify whether or not France is breaking the EU’s free movement law as the UK is still an EU member state. At the present time, EU laws still govern all member states’ actions, especially as regards non-discrimination, with judicial redress before the European Court of Justice one option should France be refusing applications to those entitled to cartes de sejour.

It seems the French authorities are behaving as if UK expats’ rights are now suspended, pending their total removal in six months’ time. Replies to concerned expatriates include refusals as the carte de sejour is not a compulsory requirement. Many long-term expats who now consider France as their home and who have contributed to its economy through taxes and their work in the community now believe they are ‘being shown the door’ by French officials.

According to a report in the English language newspaper ‘The Connexion’, one female expat working in France began her application in 2016 and received her carte two years later after being subjected to misinformation, disinformation and many long hours of waiting in queues. To finally receive it, she had to involve the British consular service as well as the European Commission’s Solvit, an office which helps EU citizens encountering difficulties with public authorities which are incorrectly applying EU law.